Team Building should have a Business Purpose

Team building exercises at the beginning of meetings and training sessions or at retreats can give employees the shot in the arm they need to feel rejuvenated about their organization, their fellow employees and the work they do. Not to be overestimated however, ice breakers and team building cannot be long term solutions to an organization’s problems.

Avoid team building sessions that have a glaring disconnect from the reality of the company and it’s employees. Honesty in the way these sessions are dealt with will go a long way to how relevant they are deemed by those participating.

Don’t lose productive hours at the cooler with employees complaining about the irrelevance of the team building activities. Don’t invest time, energy and money into team building for team building sake.

Use team building sessions to reinforce what is positive and healthy about your culture and your company’s stated vision and mission. Encourage employees to share motivational stories and philosophies that align with that vision and mission.